Browsing by Author "Mäenpää, Sanna"

Besides traditional cookbooks and magazines, a large amount of food content is widely available in various digital sources, such as social media or websites – thanks to digitalization. The wide accessibility of food content offers an opportunity to seek inspiration from various sources. This thesis studies why people are seeking for food inspiration, and what kind of food content they find inspiring. Additionally, it explores which type of sources people rely on when looking for food inspiration. The research was conducted by qualitative methods. Research data consists of 114 responses that were collected using an open-ended online questionnaire during October-November 2022. The questionnaire was distributed using different messaging applications relying on snowball effect. Additionally, the questionnaire was also shared in social media. The collected material was analyzed using a data-oriented content analysis. Furthermore, some quantification was also performed on the data. Consumers explained their reasons for seeking food inspiration through five motive categories: 1. helping everyday life, 2. the charm of novelty, 3. a special occasion or date, 4. diets and preferences, and 5. well-being and economy. The study also found indications about which elements consumers find interesting in food content. They were 1. visuality, 2. simplicity and speed, 3. trendiness and recommendations, 4. healthiness and vegetables, and 5. seasonality. Among the sources of food inspiration, the internet (56 mentions), magazines (56 mentions) and Instagram (50 mentions) received the most mentions in this study. The results examine the needs and views of consumers regarding food content. However, there is still need for further research such as considering the differences between genders and age groups.